Fire-extinguisher.



T. J. BERTI-IAM. FIRE EXTINGUISHER. APPLICATION FILED 1320.1. 190s.

1,004,971 Patented Dot. 3, 1911.

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T. J. BEETHAM. PIRE BXTINGUISHER. APPLICATION FILpD No.1, 1908.

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T. J. BEETHAM.

PIRE BXTINGUISHER.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 1, 1908.

1,004,971. Patented 001. 3, 1911.

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TT STATES PATEN THOMAS J'. BEETHAIVI, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TOTHE TEA TRAY COMPANY 0F NEWARK, N. .T.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 1, 1908.

Patented Got. 3, 1911. serial No. 465,563.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. BEETHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Extinguishers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the tanks of chemical lire extinguishers, andmore particularly to the means for releasing and dumping the acid bottleof such tanks. I have shown my improvements as applied to a large tank,such as constitutes an entire piece of chemical apparatus by itself oris mounted upon a hose-wagon to form a combination piece of apparatuscommon at the present time, but obviously the invention can be appliedto tanks of other sizes and forms of all kinds, even downl to those ofsmall hand extinguishers.

The objects of the invention are to lessen the number of movementsrequired to release and dump the acid bottle; to thus save time inattacking` a fire; to insure certainty and positiveness in the dumpingof the acid bottle; to obtain a simple effective construction, which isnot liable to get out of order; to secure adjustability, and to obtainother advantages and results as may be brought out in the followingdescription.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals ofreference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures,Figure 1 is a vertical central section of a chemical tank of my improvedconstruction; Fig. 2 is a side view of the acid bottle carrier detached,showing the acid bottle. dumped or overturned; Fig. 3 is a plan of saidbottle-carrier; Fig. 4 is a detail view of a certain hasp for theoperating handle or lever, taken on line m, Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a detailperspective view of a certain hinged contact piece adapted to be engagedby a plunger to dump the acid bottle; Fig. 6 is a rear elevation, from aview point at rightangles to that of Fig. 1, of a portion of saidplunger engaging the said contact piece, and Fig. 7 is a verticalsectional view similar to Fig. 1, but on a larger scale, of means foradjusting the closure cap of the said acid bottle.

In said drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a cylindrical tank, having theusual imper- Extending longitudinally of said tank inside the same is anagitator 4 adapted to lie close to the bottom of the tank and havingarms 5 and 6 at its ends which ext-end radially to the longitudinalcentral line of the tank. One of these arms, as 5, has a short shaft ortrunnion 7 which is adapted to rotate in a bearing 8 on the end 2 of thetank, while the other arm 6 has a corresponding shaft portion 9, whichprojects out through the end 3 of the tank and receives a handle 10 bywhich the agitator is oscillated. This handle l() is removable.4

The bearing of the shaft 9 at the end of the tank is in a central cover11 which is bolted to an annular frame set in the end 3, after themanner of a man-hole. At its center, this cover 11 has a bearing 12 forthe shaft 9, and also provides a stuffing-box 13 for said shaft toprevent leakage. Furthermore, the outer edges of the wall 14 of thisstufling box are recessed, as usual to provide stops 15 to prevent theagitator 4 swinging into contact with the acid bottle. The cover 11 hasat its inner side a projecting sleeve 16 to engage a collar 17 fixed onthe shaft 9, whereby the agitator is held against outward displacement.

To the upper part of the end 3, which has the handle 10, is riveted theflange 24 of a duct 25 which extends through the end 3. From the innerend of this duct 25 the tube 18 extends to the bottom of the tank and isadapted at its extremity 19 to form an outlet. To the outer end of theduct 25 is coupled, as at 20, any suitable discharge-pipe 200, havingvalves as 21, to direct and con-v trol the stream from the extinguisher.

At the bottom of the tank, or in its lower side, is a drain outlet 22normally closed by a plug or cap 23. In the top of the tank or its upperside, is mounted the acid bottle carrier, as will next be described indetail.

The top of the tank has an opening in which is inserted anexteriorly-threaded bushing 26, and onto this bushing is screwed a cap27, said cap being turned by radial handles 28, 28 at opposite sides ofitself. The said cap carries a depending rectangular frame 29 withinwhich is mounted by opposite trunnions 30 the cylindrical acid bottleholder 31. This holder is a thin sheetmetal casing adapted to receivethe lead bottle 32, and its trunnions 30 are disposed below the centerof gravity so as to facilitate tipping. Furthermore, one edge of thebottom of the casing is weighted, as at 33. At its upper edge, thecasing or holder 31 has hooked spring fingers 34 adapted to normallyengage the top of the lead bottle 32 to hold it in the casing. The leadbottle has lugs 35 to receive the usual handle, (not shown), forhandling the bottle when out of the ext-inguisher, and 36 indicates theneck or mouth of the bottle.

The cap 27 has a central inward projecn tion 37 which telescopicallyreceives the upper guiding end 38 of a closure or stopper 39 recessed atits lower end to fit down over the neck 36 of the acid bottle andimperviously close the same, the flange or annular wall of said recesssurrounding said neck to hold the bottle against tipping. This stopper39 is fast on the lower end of a rod 40' which slides centrally throughthe cap 27, a packing 41 being provided to prevent leakage. Said rod 40is moved up and down, to manipulate the stopper, by means of a lever 42which is fulcrulned as at 43 on a post 44 upon the cap 27 and pivot-allyconnected to the rod by means of a link 47. Obviously by forcing thelever 42 downward, the stopper 39 will mperviously close the acidbottle, as well as hold it in upright vertical position; when the handleis raised, however, the bottle is free to tip over and empty itscontents.

To depend upon the action of gravity for tipping over the acid bottle,and especially for starting such movement, is not positive enough, sinceit sometimes happens that because of corrosion or the like the bottlesticks in its upright position. I have therefore provided the means nextto be described for positively dumping the acid bottle.

To the upper edge of the casing 31, at the side opposite thatl towardwhich the casing is desired to tip when dumping the acid bottle, I hingean impact piece 48. This impact piece I have shown as a strip of sheetmetal hinged at one end to a straight strip 45 adapted to be secured tothe outer wall of the casing, and having its other end curled or bentinwardly beneath itself so that when the impact piece lies upon the topof the acid bottle an outwardly inclined or beveled surface 46 isprovided. The said impact piece is pivoted to the casing 31, so that itcan be swung out of the way when the acid bottle is to be removed fromthe casing. Furthermore the impact piece 48 is preferably reinforced bya filling 49 insertedl in its loop. In the cap 27 is a second verticalrod or plunger' 50, arranged directly above this impact piece 48, andprovided at its lower end with a head 51 adapted to engage said beveledimpact piece to impel the top of the acid bottle and its carrierlaterally and thus dump the same. There this plunger rod 50 passesthrough the cap 27 it is provided with packing 52, and the upper end ofthe rod is connected by a short link 53 to an extension 54 of the lever42 beyond its fulcrum 43. Thus as the said lever is raised to unstop andrelease the acid bottle, the plunger 50 positively pushes said acidbottle over. In order that the plunger 50 shall not operate upon theimpact piece until the neck of the acid bottle has been entirelyreleased from the stopper 39, the upper end of the link 53 is slotted,as at 154, to receive i the pivotal pin and thus permit a limited lostmotion.

A hasp 56 is pivoted upon the top of the cap 27 to hook over the lever42 in its depressed position, and said hasp is normally held in suchlocking position by means of a spring 57.

In operation, the fireman has only to grasp the lever 42 with his hand,his thumb at the same time pushing back the hasp 56, and raise the saidlever 42 as far as possible. This movement unstops the acid bottle,releases the acid bottle, and by means of my improved plunger 50positively pushes the top of the acid bottle in the direction in whichit is desired to tip. There is thus no tendency to displace the acidbottle in any other direction, and there is no strain upon the trunnionson which the acid bottle swings nor upon any other parts.

In F ig. 7, I have shown a construction of stopper or closure for theneck 36 of the acid bottle, which permits of an adjustment vertically soas to always tightly close the acid bottle. To this end, the plunger rod60 has fixed on its lower end a head 61 which is exteriorly threaded, asat 62, and adapted to screw into a correspondingly threaded recess 63 ofthe stopper proper 64. This stopper proper has at its under side or enda chamber 65 for the neck 36 of the bottle, and which chamber isradially enlarged at its bottom as at 66, to receive the usual lead andrubber washers (not shown). The stopper can thus be adjusted on theplunger to always fit tightly against the acid bottle, and a lock-nut orcollar 67 on the head 61 enables it to be made fast wherever desired.Both the head 64 and lock nut 67 have recesses 68, 69, respectively, fora wrench to turn them.

In assembling the parts of my improved fire-extinguisher, the agitator4, with its arms 5, 6, and end shafts or trunnions 7, 9, is insertedthrough the end opening of the tank, and then the cover 11 is put inplace. This having been done, the fixed collar 17 on the end-shaft ortrunnion v9 is adjacent to the sleeve or hub 16 on the cover, and isadapted to engage the same to prevent outward displacement or sliding ofthe end shaft or trunnion 9 through the central bearing therefor in thecover. At the same time the outer projecting end of the said end-shaftor trunnion 9 is free for the stufting-box 18 and handle 15.

Having thus described the invention, wh at I claim is.

l. In a fire extinguisher, the combination with a tank, a cap for saidtank, an acid bottle, and bottle supporting means on said cap adapted toallow said bottle to tip into inverted position, of an impact surface atthe upper part of said bottle inclined to the direction of tipping ofthe bottle, a rod working vertically through said cap, a stopper for theacid bottle upon said rod, a

plunger parallel to said rod and adapted to engage the said impactsurface, and means connecting said plunger and rod so that sliding ofthe rod will cause the plunger to move in the opposite direction.

2. In a fire extinguisher, the combination with a tank, a cap for saidtank, an acid bottle, and bottle supporting means on said cap adapted toallow said bottle to tip into inverted position, of an impact surface atthe upper part of said bottle inclined t-o the direction of tipping ofthe bottle, a rod working vertically through said cap, a stopper for theacid bottle upon said rod, a plunger parallel to said rod and adapted toengage the impact surface, and a lever fulcrumed on the cap andpivotally connected on opposite sides of its fulcrum to the said plungerand rod, whereby sliding of the rod moves the plunger in the oppositedirection.

3. In a lire extinguisher, the combination with a tank, a cap for saidtank, an acid bottle, and bottle supporting means on the inside of saidcap adapted to allow said bottle to tip into inverted position, of animpact surface at the upper part of said bottle inclined to thedirection of tipping of the bottle, a plunger working vertically throughsaid cap and adapted at its inner end to engage said impact surface, arod also working vertically through the cap and having at its inner enda stopper for the said bottle, and means upon the outside of the cap forsimultaneously sliding said plunger and rod in opposite directions.

4f. In a fire extinguisher, the combination with a tank, a cap for saidtank, an acid bottle, and bottle supporting means on the inside of saidcap adapted to allow said bottle to tip into inverted posit-ion, of animpact surface at the upper part of said bote tle inclined to thedirection of tipping of the bottle, a plunger working vertically throughsaid cap and adapted at its inner end to engage said impact surface, arod also working vertically through the cap and having at its inner en da stopper for the said bottle, and a lever fulcrumed on the outside oft-he cap and pivotally connected on opposite sides of its fulcrum to thesaid plunger and rod, whereby sliding of either' one of saidlast-mentioned two parts moves the other in t-he opposite direction.

5. In a fire extinguisher, the combination with a tank, a cap for saidtank, a frame depending from said cap, and an acid bottle pivoted insaid frame by lateral trunnions below its center of gravity, of abeveled impact surface at the upper edge of said acid bottle, a plungerworking vertically through the cap adapted to engage said impactsurface, a retaining stopper for the acid bottle, a rod for said stopperalso working vertically through the cap, a lever fulcrumed upon theoutside of the cap between said rod and plunger, and links connectingsaid rod and plunger to said lever on opposite sides of its saidfulcrum.

6. In a fire extinguisher, the combination with a tank, a cap for saidtank, a frame depending from said cap, and an acid bottle pivoted insaid frame by lateral trunnions below its center of gravity, of abeveled impact surface at the upper edge of said acid bottle, a plungerworking vertically through the cap adapted to engage said impactsurface, a retaining stopper for the acid bottle, a rod for said stopperalso working vertically through the cap, a lever fulcrumed upon theoutside of the cap between said rod and plunger, and links connectingsaid rod and plunger to said lever on opposite sides of its saidfulcrum, the link for said plunger having at one of its ends a slottedconnection permitting a limited lost motion.

7 In a fire extinguisher, the combination with a'tank, a cap for saidtank, an acid bottle, and bottle supporting means on the inside of saidcap adapted to allow said bottle to tip into inverted position, of animpact surface at the upper part of said bottle inclined to thedirection of tipping of the bottle, a plunger working vertically throughsaid cap and adapted at its inner end to engage said impact surface, arod also working vertically through the cap and having at its inner enda stopper for the said bottle, and a handled lever having a fixedfulcrum upon the outsideof the cap, said lever being pivotally connectedintermediate of its handle and fulcrum to the said rod and pivotallyconnected at the opposite side of its fulcrum to the plunger, wherebysaid rod and plunger are reciprocated in opposite directions by movementof said lever.

8. In a iire extinguisher, the combination with a tank, a cap for saidtank, a frame depending from said cap, and an acid bottle holder pivotedin said frame by lateral trunnions, of an impact piece hinged on theoutside of said holder near its upper edge and adaptedto extend radiallyinward over the top of an acid bottle in said holder or hang downwardagainst the outside of the holder, and a plunger projecting through thecap adapted to be slid by its outer end to engage at its inner end saidimpact piece and tilt the acid bottle holder.

9. In a hre-extinguisher, the combination of a horizontal cylindricaltank having a central aperture in one end, a cover for said end aperturewith a central shaft-bearing eX- tending through itself and a hub orsleeve at the inner sideot the cover around said bearing and a stuiiingbox at the outer side of the cover around said bearing, a centralbearing on the inside of the other or non-apertured end of the tank, anagitator insertible into said tank through the said end aperture andhaving opposite end shafts or trunnions one entering the said insidebearing on the non-apertured end of the tank and the other projectingthrough the central bearing of the cover for the apertured end of thetank, a xed collar on said last-mentioned shaft or trunnion inside thesaid cover for the end aperture of the tank, said collar being adjacentto the said hub or sleeve when the cover is in place on the tank andengaging the same to prevent outward longitudinal movement of theend-shaft or trunnion on which it is iiXed through' the central bearingof the cover, and a removable handle on said shaft or trunnion outsidesaid cover for the end aperture of the tank and stuiingbox thereon.

10. In a iire extinguisher, the combination With a tank, a cap for saidtank, an acid bottle, and bottle supporting means on said cap adapted toallow the acid bottle to tip into inverted position, of a hand leverfulcrumed on the outside of said cap, means for locking said lever in acertain position, a plungerl rod connected to said lever and eX- tendingthrough said cap, a headupon the inner end of said plunger' rod, astopper for the said acid bottle upon said head and ad- 40 with a tank,a cap for said tank, a frame depending from said cap, and an acid bottleholder pivoted in said frame by lateral trunnions, of an impact piecehinged on the outside of said holder near its upper edge and adapted toextend radially inward over the top of an acid bottle in said holder orhang downward against the outside of the holder,

said impact piece comprising a strip of sheet metal bent into a loop anda iiller inside said loop, and a plunger projecting through the capadapted to be slid by its outer end into engagement at its inner endWith said loop of the impact piece to tilt the acid bottle holder. v

THOMAS J. BEETHAM.

In the presence of- FREDERIGK GERMANN, J r., RUSSELL M. Evnnnrfr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing" the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

